SPECIAL FOCUS

A Tale of Two Museums

Morton Grove's and Buffalo Grove's fledgling museums took flight when they joined forces and shared resources

BY JANET NOWERS AND GARY F. BALLING, CLP

Photo: Like the small, park district museum that captures its history, Buffalo Grove has experienced tremendous growth in a short period of time. Village population in 1958 was 164. The early '70s showed growth to more than 15,000, as recorded by this sign from the Raupp Memorial Museum collection. Today Buffalo Grove's population tops 43,136.

Small, district-owned museums have a tough go of things on their own. But, by sharing resources these local treasures can gain efficiency and visitors.

A cooperative agreement developed in 1994 between the Buffalo Grove and Morton Grove park districts created just such a worthwhile collaboration. At the heart of the agreement was the hiring of one full-time person as curator for both museums, the Haupt-Yehl House in Morton Grove and the Raupp Memorial Museum in Buffalo Grove.

Here's a look at their early struggles and creative solutions for growth.

Buffalo Grove "Grows" a Museum

The initial drive to preserve and honor the life of an earlier Buffalo Grove was not the vision of the Buffalo Grove Park District, but was guided by one of the village's first settling families, the Raupps. One could say they had a crystal ball for predicting the future. It was their desire that a museum be built on a portion of the family homestead they once farmed. This museum would show its visitors, through exhibits, displays and programs, an earlier, simpler life. Few people, especially children, could understand the contrast between a frugal lifestyle and what was quickly becoming an instant, throwaway society.

To fulfill the Raupp's vision, 3.5 acres of farmland were donated to the village. In 1971 the village deeded the land to the park district, and it was the park district that carried out the wishes of the family.

Initially, the museum was to have been housed in the Raupp farmhouse, but in early 1972 the house caught fire and could not be restored. The Raupp dream for a museum was then put on hold until 1975 when Leavitt Development Company donated their sales office to the park district for the purpose of the museum. Through the work of volunteers, a small community museum took shape, and in 1979 the museum was officially dedicated.

The Raupp Memorial Museum, like so many small museums, was managed at first by a volunteer curator and a small volunteer staff. This corps of community volunteers was successful in obtaining artifacts and developing early exhibits. Unfortunately, none of these individuals knew much about the proper management or administration of a museum. The board of park commissioners, who were immersed with the rapid growth of a young park district, trusted the volunteer curator to make decisions. These decisions did not always reflect the museum's needs.

In 1992 the park commissioners discovered they could no longer rely on a volunteer curator to manage the museum. The reasons were many. Since 1979, the museum was only open on Sundays and only for three hours. Museum programs were no longer offered and tours were rarely booked by community organizations. The schools were not using the facility. Although objects were collected, there were no collection policies. Proper conservation

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and storage were not being utilized.

Most notable was the fact that key volunteers had left or had died, leaving only the volunteer curator to supervise Sunday public hours. If he was unavailable, the museum didn't open. Thankfully, the park district had five elected commissioners who realized that this facility could become a significant resource for the district and the community. And they resolved to make changes.

Important decisions by the commissioners included a change in staffing. The volunteer curator was encouraged to continue his work at the museum, however a park district staff member would oversee his work. This staff member eventually became the museum manager with the responsibility for turning this fledgling museum into an integral community resource.

A Partnership Is Born

It's one thing to have an interest in a museum, but to have the responsibility of overseeing its operation is much different. The Raupp Memorial Museum, from the beginning, had been without professional management. To turn it into a recognizable, frequently utilized facility was not going to happen overnight. The staff person in charge knew little about the operation of this museum, or any museum for that matter, so she started asking questions and discovered how different it would be from managing other "recreational facilities."

The primary concern of any museum is not for the visitor, but for the collection. Without a collection, there is no museum. Collections must be cared for properly, cataloging procedures adhered to, and collection policies established. The efficiency of the entire structure, its lighting, its heating and cooling system, was also a major consideration for the proper care of the collection.

And that is just the beginning. An exhibition philosophy should be written, and new exhibits developed and properly maintained. An educational philosophy is also necessary. New tour and educational programs must also be developed as well as recruiting volunteers and other projects.

If the management of a museum was an eye-opening experience for Buffalo Grove, how were other park districts with small museums handling their operations?

One such small museum, operated by the Morton Grove Park District, was at a similar turning point as the Raupp Memorial Museum. The Morton Grove Historical Museum in the Haupt-Yehl House was also being managed by volunteers who had limited knowledge about proper museum procedures. Public hours were limited. Tours were few and dollars short.

Morton Grove "Grows" a Museum From the beginning, the successful preservation of the Haupt-Yehl House for a museum inched forward with emotions running high. In the spring of 1984, resident Dorothy Yehl donated the home to the Morton Grove Historical Society and sold the land to a developer, leaving just weeks to save the house from destruction. It was to be moved or razed. The historical society wanted to relocate the 100-year-old home to Harrer Park and call it the Morton Grove Historical Museum. Commissioners for the Morton Grove Park District unanimously agreed to allow the home to be placed on park property if the historical society could raise more than $50,000 to move the house and set it on a new foundation. In August that same year, the house was moved, restored and operated by the historical society. In November, a museum advisory committee was formed with representatives of the park district, historical society, village of Morton Grove, Morton Grove Library and a local school district. The park board was to have final say on all matters concerning the house. For several years poor communication and cooperation ensued. A very low level of trust among the groups had become ingrained. Then, in 1988, a Letter of Agreement was established between the park district and historical society creating a Museum Council made up of representatives from both entities. With the new council in place, it was time to get things back on track. A grant from the American Association of Museums provided an assessment of the museum operations and its activities. Three objectives were identified: 1) to properly identify and manage collections; 2) improve displays and provide activities, and 3) seek additional qualified personnel. The assessment was the first step in identifying the need to transition from an all-volunteer staff to paid, professional employees. Today, the Haupt-Yehl House is furnished to reflect the early years of this century when Before: Dorothy Yehl's home is prepared to be moved to Harrer Park in 1984. After:The renovated museum is decked out for the holidays. (continued on page 34)

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After several meetings, it was determined that a partnership between the two museums would be beneficial in several ways. We determined first that if both park districts hired one museum professional, staff salaries and benefits could be split between both agencies. In addition, the purchase of conservation supplies and training expenses could also be shared. Secondly, by forming this agreement, both museums could begin to show positive growth and look to the day when there would be separate professional staff members at both museums.

Since museum dollars were already tight, it was determined that the best way to approach our staffing concern would be to work with universities who offer a museum internship program. This person could initiate positive growth, leading the way for the hiring of a professional staff member in the future.

Both districts had a desire to improve the efficiency of services provided and increase the number of visitors to their museums. At the heart of the agreement was the hiring of one full-time person to be the curator of both local museums. The curator would be the first individual designated and hired with training in museum collections and care.

On May 23, 1994, the board of the Buffalo Grove Park District signed an intergovernmental agreement with Morton Grove Park District which formed a museum partnership. The agreement involved sharing the services of an intern and the eventual hiring of a museum coordinator for both museums.

The Intern Experience

One of our best resources for gaining an understanding of museum science came from Joy Matthiessen, director of the Des Plaines Historical Museum. Matthiessen became our mentor as we struggled to gain information on various museum operations and for determining the best way to go about looking for an intern.

Another resource was the Illinois Heritage Association located in Champaign, Ill., which advised us to advertise for an intern through Eastern Illinois University. Eastern has one of the best graduate study programs in Historical Administration in the Midwest.

Fortunately, our first request for a graduate student met with success, and the intern began a 12-week program in June of 1994. The intern would be responsible for several key projects, among them the creation of a hands-on area for children at the Raupp Memorial Museum and the development of collection cataloging procedures for the Haupt-Yehl House.

To many, the task of managing two museums would seem overwhelming. However, to a student from the Historical Administration program at Eastern Illinois University, this was a challenge that was quite appealing. It would provide firsthand training that would be invaluable for future full-rime employment.

From the intern, both park districts learned a great deal about the administration of a museum, proper collections management and numerous technical skills. Unfortunately, the museum professional viewed the nontraditional museum within the park district setting with some impatience.

For one, the museum was not recognized by either park district as their most important facility, and this was frustrating for the museum professional. Work requests took several weeks or months to complete as park district crews prioritized their projects by need and importance. Secondly, visitors were not viewed with equal importance to that of collections; without visitors, there is no need for a museum. Thirdly, money was always in short supply.

These and other considerations were at first difficult for the museum professional, but were overcome with education and an understanding of

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the park district structure and philosophy. Likewise, park districts are now recognizing the museum profession as an important asset to their museum operations and are pleased to include these individuals as part of the park district family. After all, a museum offers an alternative source of recreational opportunities and education.

Creativity and Perseverance Lead To Growing Museums

Photo: The discovery room in the Raupp Memorial Museum allows visitors the opportunity to play with old-time toys, dress in period clothing, wring out clothes by hand as well as pump wafer by hand. A facility of the Buffalo Grove Park District, the museum is located at 901 Dunham Lane in Buffalo Grove. Public hours are Sundays 1 to 4 p.m., Monday through Wednesday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the second Wednesday of each month, 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free. For tour information, call 847.459.5700, ext. 116.

Since 1994, attendance at the Raupp Memorial Museum has grown 60 percent. Three major exhibits have opened to the public with notable community response. Two new tour programs, "Packing for Pioneer Life" and "Buffalo Grove—Then and Now," have been introduced and are now being utilized by all grade schools. Community special events such as the "Old- Fashioned 4th of July Celebration" have renewed interest in the museum and its programs. Museum classes including quilting, genealogy and local history programs are being offered. With a full-time curator, the museum is now open four days a week. A Conservation Assessment Grant was received. And, due to this progress, the Buffalo Grove Park District board of commissioners is hoping to expand the current museum building in 1999 to accomplish even more. Likewise, the Morton Grove Historical Museum has matured and become a focal point for community-wide events. For example, the museum took center stage at the Morton Grove Autumnfest held last fall in Harrer Park. The museum featured an exhibit looking back on Morton Grove days since it began in the 1930s. Bus tours were provided by the Historical Society through the old sections of town, reminiscing about the early business district and notable people living in Morton Grove over the years such as actress Marlee Matlin and gymnast Bart Conner.

Also, last August curator Mary Walsh was hired. Walsh will use her extensive teaching experience to bring museum services to local schools as well as drawing more residents of all ages to the museum.

Today, both the Morton Grove and Buffalo Grove museums have grown beyond the need to share staff. Both function independently of each other with separate curators on staff. Yes, intergovernmental agreements do work. •

JANET NOWERS
is the administrative assistant and museum manager of the Buffalo Grove Park District.

GARY F. BALLING, CLP
is the administrative manager of the Morton Grove Park District.

Comments from a Museum Mentor BY JOY MATTHIESSEN The "first professional"—as we in the field often refer to the first new hire in a museum that had been previously all volunteer-run—is seldom an easy position. Generally, it is an educational experience for everyone involved: from learning the buzzwords like "acid-free tissue" or "buffered paper," to the need for climate control and the use of hygrothermographs. Creating a balance between "what was" and realizing what is the full potential of the museum facility is usually a process that evolves over time and necessitates both patience and dialog between the parties involved. The Morton Grove and Buffalo Grove museums were no exception. Each facility made significant progress in terms of becoming more "museum-minded." This was especially noticeable in their exhibit and storage areas as well as in the realm of artifact record-keeping and documentation. Their unique collaboration was an excellent starting point enabling each to gain a better sense of their needs and formulate future direction. As we have found, to the benefit of both park districts, intergovernmental agreements can work. • JOY MATTHIESSEN is the director of the Des Plaines Historical Museum and served as a valuable mentor for the Buffalo Grove and Morton Grove museums.

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